Counterbalance for swinging breech mechanisms.



D. F. ASBURY.

COUNTERBALANCE FOR SWINGlNG BREECH MECHANISMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1916.

1,297,98Q. Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

li I I a i I Wm 7 M44 D. F. ASBURY. v COUNTERBA'LANCE FOR SWINGING BREECH MECHANISMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. l9|6. 1,297,984. Patented Mar. 25,1919.

- 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

with-(zoo em @331 aL W294 D. F. ASBURY.

COUNTER'BMLAN'GE roh swmGmG BREECH MECHANISMS. I APPLICATION HLED FEB- 23. 1915. 1,297,984. Patented Mar. 2a, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- To all whom it may concern:

- ED STATES ()FFICE.

DORSEY I. ASIBUBY, OF

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOB TO UNITED STATES OBDNANCE COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OI COLUMBIA, A CORPO- RATION 0F VIRGINIA- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed February 23, 1916. Serial No.'79,900.

Be it known that I, Donsnr F. AsBURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have 1nvented certain new and useful Im roye ments' in Counterbalances for Swmgmg Breech Mechanisms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it fiipertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates to a counterbalance for swinging breech mechanisms.

'I-Iowitzer' uns are fired at high angles of elevation an it is therefore necessary to load them while elevated in order to avoid bringing the gun back to the level position. Generally the angle of elevation of the gun for loading is a fixed angle chosen to avoid'the nism between the gun and swmgm use of a complicated ramming mechanism. The referred an le of elevation of the gun for oading is a out twenty degrees, for when large guns are at'this angle the ramming mechanism is practically on a level with the gun base surface and the shells can then be rolled on the rammer without lifting them bodily. i When operating breech mechanlsms under the foregoing conditions it is essential that any means to balance the pendulum like swing of the breech mechanism would have to'produce the largest moment when the breech mechanism is in its swung home position and no moment when the center of ravity of the breech mechanism is at its owest position or in a vertical plane passed through the hinge axis ofthe mechanism,- and a negative or outward actin moment when the breech mechanism is ful y open or when the center of gravity thereof pames its lowest position.

It is therefore my purpose to provide a balance device for a side swinging mechaparts that will be operated when the mec anism is-,'swung open to store up energy to help swing the mechanism closed, the action of said device being. positive and regular; to provide a device for balancing the outward acting moment of the mechanism produced by gravity by an inward acting moment produced by the device; to provide a spring device which tends to hold the mechanism closed when its line of force is on one side of the hinge axis of the mechanism and which acts to hold the mechanism open when its line of force passes to the other side of c said hinge axis; to provide a spring reacting from the gun to balance the opening and closing movement of a side swinging breech mechanism when the gun is'elevated to a predetermined angle; to provide a structure to balance a decreasing-moment of the breech mechanism by an increasing force of a spring and vice versa; to provide means for decreasing the springs leveragewhile the springs force increases and vice versa; to provide a spring device whose force produces a moment about the hinge axis of the mechanism that will substantially vary with and equal and also act against the moment about the hinge axis produced by gravity actlng against the mass of the mechanism when the gun is at' a predetermined elevavarying the springs moment about the hinge so that it will substantially equal and counteract the swinging moment of the mechanism due to gravity if the gun is still elevated; and to provide means for varying the initial force of the spring device.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose of 'illustratLng my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a gun embodylng my invention, the breech mechanism being shown in closed position;

Fig. 2, a plan view of what is shown in Fig. 1 partly in section and with the mechanism shown in open position in dotted lines.

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the gun with the mechanism closed and the gun shown at an elevation of twenty degrees; and

- Fig. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings A indicates the gun, B the breech plug and C the swinging carrier which has its hinge axis at G. The plug B and the carrier C are adapted to be manually o erated to open and closed po- -C and detachably interlocked with the gun A is a bracket 12and pivoted to'this bracket for swingin movement is one end of a cy1 inder 13. %he axis of the pivot connection of the cylinder 13 is at the rear of the axis C and is effected through the medium of a removable pin 14. The end of the cylinder 13 adjacent the bracket 12 is provided with an inwardly directed tubular extension 15 having the innepend-ef-its bore reduced to form a shoulder 16 the purpose of which will presently appean. Slidably mountedin the bore of the extension 15 is the head 17 of a rod 18 which'is adapted to engage the shoulder 16 to limit movement of said rod in one direction. Threaded on the rod 18 and movable in the cylinder 13 is a nut 19 the outer end of which is reduced and provided with an axial recess 20. Disposed within the cylinder 13 and encircling the extension 15 and the rod 18 is a spring 21 one end of which bears against the end of the cylinder adjacent the bracket 12 and the other end against the nut 19. Mounted on the carrier C is a bracket 22 the upper end of which terminates in a socket 23. Rotatably engaged in the socket 23 is the head-24 of a member 25 which extends into the recess 20 of the nut 19'and is provided with an axial recess 26 which receives the adjacent end of the rod 18.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2 it will be observed that the head 17 is engaged with the shoulder 16 and under such conditions the force of the spring 21 is not exerted upon. the pin 14 or socket 23 and I am thus enabled, if desired, in such status of the parts to easily remove the pin 14, swing the related end of the cylinder 13 slightly to the rear and then disengage the head 24 from the socket 23 and remove the entire counterbalancing device to permit the usual manual operation of the gun when the latter is being loaded in a substantially level position. It will be further observed that by manipulating the nut 19 I can vary the initial tension of the spring 21 by which I mean the tension of the spring when the mechanism of the gun is closed.

As the mechanism is operated to open position it will be apparent that, owin to the fact that the carrier C and the cyllnder 13 swing on different pivots, relative "longitudinal movement will occur between the cylinder 13 and the nut 19 and effect compression of the spring 21. As the moment of thebreech mechanism is greatest in its swung home position, when the gun'is at an elevauntil the mechanism is closed.

tion, and constantly decreases as the mechanism opens and its center of gravity moves toward its lowest position'it .wlll be apparent that my device will act to balance such decreasing moment of the mechanism by an increasing force until the center of gravity of the mechanism reaches its lowest position. When the center of gravity of the mechanism continues its movement beyond the lowest position the moment of the breech mechanism increases while the force of the spring 21 decreases and acts outwardly through the nut 19 and associated parts against the socket 23 to hold the mechanism in the open position shown in dotted'lines in Fig. 2. In closing the mechanism with the gun at anelevation the moment of the -mechanism decreases and the force of the 'when the moment of the mechamsm .in-

creases and the force of the spring decreases In other words during the opening and closing of-the breech mechanism the spring 21 'actsagainst the mechanism with an increasing .force' while the mechanism opens and the line of force of said spring is on one side of the axis C and with a. decreasin forcewhen the line of force of said spring passes to the other side of said axis. It will also be apparent that by my arrangement and construction of counterbalancing device that the force of this spring 21 during operation of the mechanism produces a moment about the hinge axis C that will substantially vary with and equal and also act against the moment about the hinge axis produced by gravity acting on the mass of the mechanism. The arrangement of my device also 'enables me to vary the leverage of the spring 21, which is greatest when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, so that'such leverage will decrease while the springs force increases during opening swing of the mechanism, and increase during closing swing of the mechanism as the force of the spring decreases.

When the gun is fired at an elevation and the breech opened While the gun remains in such position and then brought back to level positlon and loaded the mechanism can be closed by simply manually moving same toward closed position until, the center of gravity of the moving mass passes to the' gun side of the hinge axis C when the device will automatically operate to impart the remaining closing movement to the mechanism.

What is claimed is 1. In a gun, the combination of a swinging breech mechanism, and a spring device between the gun and the mechanism tending to hold the mechanism closed when its line nisms' amount of outward *actin moment 7 menu .the'mechanism open when its line of force passes to the other side of the hinge axis.

2. In a gun, the combination of a side swingbreech mechanism adapted to be operated when the gun is elevated and its hinge axis substantial y in a vertical plane, a spring between the mechanism and gun, and means to vary the leverage of the spring so as to decrease its amount of iriward acting moment substantially as the breech mechadue to gravity decreases while t e mechanism is being swu open, and vice versa while the breech mec anism is being swung closed.

3. In a gun, the combination of a hinged breech mechanism having a decreasing moment about the hinge due to gravity as the mechanism is opened with the gun elevated,

' ment in a closing direction during closing. of

. ing loaded, of a balancing spring device between the mechanism and gun exerting upon the mechanism as the force of the device decreases and its leverage increases.

5. In a gun, the combination of a swinging breech mechanism, and a spring device between the gun and mechanism producing a decreasing -moment with an increasing force of the device to balance the decreasing moment of the mechanism as the latter opens.

6. In a gun, the combination of a swinging breech mechanism, and a spring device between the gun and mechanism roducing an increasing moment. with a ecreasing force of the device to balance the increasing moment of the mechanism as the latter closes.

.7. In a gun, the combination with a pivoted breech mechanism having its pivotal axis inclined to the vertical when the gun is bethe mechanism a turning moment which will vary in accordance with the falling moment of the mechanism due to gravity when said mechanism is operated.

8. In a gun, the combination of a swinging breech mechanism, and a spring device between the gun and the mechanism acting against the breech. mechanism with an in creasing force while the mechanism opens and the line of force of said device is on one side of the hinge axis of the mechanism, and with a decreasing force when the line of .pivot end of the cylinder an force of the device passes to the other side of said, hinge axis.

9. In a gun, the combination of a swinging breech mechanism, and a spring devlce between the gun and the mechanism acting with a decreasing moment against the breech mechanism while the latter opens and the line of force of said device is on one side of the hinge axis of the breech mechanism, and with an increasing moment when the line of force of the device passes to the other side of said hinge axis.

10. In a nflthe combination ofa side swing bree mechanism adapted to be operated when the gun is elevated and its hinge axis substantially in a vertical plane, and a spring device between the gun and the mechanism whose force during the operation of the mechanism produces a moment in a closing direction about the hinge axis that will su stantially vary with, equal and act against the moment about the hinge axis produced by gravity acting on the mass of the mechanism.

11. In a gun, the combination of a side swing breech mechanism, adapted to be operated when the gun is elevated and its hinge axis substantially in a vertical plane, a spring between the gun and mechanism, and means operated by the opening swing of the mechanism to decrease the springs leverage while the springs force increases, and by the closing swing of the mechanism to increase the springs to balance the moment of the breech mechanism due to gravity.

12. In a gun, the combination of aside swing breech mechanism adapted to be operated when the gun is elevated and when ing the operation of the former passing a position of no moment.

14. In a gun the combination of a swinging breech mechanism, a cylinder having one end ivoted to the gun, an inwardly directed tubu ar extension on the pivot end of the cylinder, the inner end of said extension having its bore reduced to form a shoulder, a r having one end provided with a head slidable in the bore of the extension and adapted to engage the shoulder to limit the movement of the rod in one direction, a nut threaded on said rod, a spri encircling the rod and extension and bearm against the verage'while its force decreases,

I its hinge axis is substantially in avertical against the a nut, a socket bracket mounted on the mechanism, and a member having one end operatively connected with the socket bracket and the other-end provided with a recess and receivin the adjacent end of the rod.

' 15. n a breech mechanism for ordnance loaded at high angles of elevation, the combination with a breech screw carrier having its pivotal axis inclined to the vertical when the gun is being loaded, of" a balancing spring exerting upon the carrier a turning memes DORSEY F. 'ASBURY.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BRIGHT, 1 EDITH STOWELL. 

